Apr. 5—Thousands of protesters lined Spokane’s Division Street on Saturday afternoon to rally against the policies of President Donald Trump and his adviser Elon Musk.
The protest was the largest in years and built upon weeks of demonstrations by people alarmed and against the layoffs of tens of thousands of federal employees, the attempted shuttering of federal agencies, deportations of undocumented immigrants and, this week, the stock market upheaval following new tariffs.
The protest is part of the “Hands Off!” movement that unfolded in cities large and small across the country.
Police estimated more than 5,000 protesters. The event was peaceful amid nearly constant honking in support of the protesters.
Many of the signs held by people played on the “Hands Off!” theme. They read “Hands Off Education,” “Hands Off Democracy,” and “Hands off Social Security,” for example.
The people were not only lining Division Street, but spilled into Clark Park, off North Normandie Street.
Across Washington state, rallies were also scheduled to take place in Bellingham, Bothell, Deming, Edmonds, Ellensburg, Everett, Everson, Friday Harbor, Gig Harbor, Issaquah, Kirkland, Langely, Longview, Mount Vernon, Oak Harbor, Olympia, Orcas Island, Port Angeles, Port Orchard, Pullman, Redmond, Seattle, Shaw Island, Vancouver, Whidbey Island and Yakima.
A related protest Saturday morning in Coeur d’Alene drew hundreds of people.
This story is developing.